Osinbajo must use federal power to stop Fulani herdsmen attack in Benue, Nigeria – Fayose

Osinbajo must use federal power to stop Fulani herdsmen attack in Benue, Nigeria – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose on Saturday called on the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo to deploy instruments of the Federal Government to tackle herdsmen attacks in Nigeria, especially in Benue State.

Fayose’s call was contained in a release issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

He said: “What is going on in Benue State is more like an organised pogrom and those responsible for the killings in the State must be arrested and prosecuted.

“As it is today, it appears that Prof. Osinbajo does not have the full powers of the president.”

Fayose, who declared support for the new law prohibiting open grazing in Benue State, said, “those opposed to the law are only doing so as part of their plot to undermine the land and people of Benue State and they must be made to face the law.”

Fayose sympathised with the government and people of Benue State.

He said the Federal Government must “stop playing the ostrich to the menace of the Fulani herdsmen.

“Like I have maintained, cattle farming is not different from fish farming, snake farming, poultry farming, snail farming, etc.

“Therefore, if fish farmers are providing their own ponds and poultry farmers building their own pens, while also buying feed for their animals, there is no reason cattle farmers should not also provide their own ranch and feed their cows without encroaching on other people’s farmlands.

“How can Nigerians embrace farming when those already in the farms are losing billions of Naira worth of crops to destruction of their farmlands by the Fulani herdsmen and the Federal Government is not doing anything about it.”

He described the Buhari-led government’s continuous silence on the alleged killing of harmless Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen as unacceptable.

He said, “In May 2016, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria boldly told Nigerians that herdsmen killed over 1,000 Agatu people of Benue State then because over 800 of their cows were killed by Tiv youths. The man who openly made that comment was never questioned by the security agent.

“The same Miyetti Allah is now against the Anti-Open Grazing Law in Benue State, vowing to mobilize its members to resist the law and claiming that pastoralists like other citizens of the country have the right to move freely and to reside in any part of the country.

“Does pastoralists have rights to destroy other people’s farmlands, invade homes and rape people’s wives and daughters? Shouldn’t people who are into cattle farming be able to provide feeds for their animals?”